Cooley Gains Branch Status
Though students were previously restricted to taking only 15 credits at the
“We’re just delighted,” said Marion Hilligan, associate dean of the Grand Rapids/Western Michigan University campus.
A letter from the American Bar Association informing Cooley of the change came following a meeting with the association in June, Hilligan said.
“We certainly were very hopeful, and after the meeting we were expecting a positive response,” she said.
The law school has waited more than three years for that positive response after the American Bar Association refused to grant “acquiescence” for the program.
Hilligan said the school is prepared to offer students the chance to earn their full degree here starting in September.
“We’re working really hard,” she said. “We’re ready to get up to speed quickly.”
While the school now has about 15 resident faculty members, Hilligan said Cooley will be hiring additional faculty to bring that number up to 23, not including many adjunct faculty members who will teach specialty electives.
The
Hilligan said she believes enrollment will rise as the school starts its full degree program.
“It’s a very underserved market,” she said of
With the full degree program, Hilligan said students have lifestyle choices, as well as geographic choices. Students can experience the urban campus of
Hilligan said she is pleased with the support the school has received from the
“We’re really glad that we’re able to offer this service here,” she said. “There’s a big demand for it.”
